Portland lands $4 million water grant to pay off major portion of sewer debt

View full sizeAP File PhotoPortland Borough landed a $4 million grant to pay off a portion of its sewer debt.

Portland Borough Council President Bob Cartwright said residents should see some financial relief from their sewer bills in the coming weeks after the state awarded the borough a $4 million grant today.

The Commonwealth Financial Authority earlier today awarded the grant, part of $172 million the authority provided around the state, through the Pennsylvania H2O Water and Sewer Program.

"We’re just ecstatic that they were able to get funding this go-round. They sorely needed it. The sewer rates in that borough were astronomical," said Steve DeFranco, chief of staff of state Senator Lisa Boscola. Boscola, state Representative Joseph Emrick and U.S. Congressman Charlie Dent all helped push for the grant, Cartwright said.

Residents of the borough get a monthly sewer bill of $100 to pay down
roughly $6 million in debt for the borough's sewer plant. Former Mayor
Kay Bucci had led efforts to get state aid, but the borough didn't
receive any grant money in November.

"I'm just delighted. This is going to save Portland. It was like a cloud hanging over. A sewer cloud hanging over Portland," Bucci said.

Cartwright said the borough expects to receive the check within the next month, and the borough council will use the funds to pay off a loan from PennVEST. The new sewer bills should be calculated then, but Cartwright said they should drop a substantial amount.

"We finally, finally have some good news. Every resident directly benefits from this grant," Cartwright said.